Wheeler Boarding

Wheeler Boarding is such a fun place to visit when the weather is good. They are located at 8426 NE 70th Ave, Bondurant, IA just a short drive from Des Moines.

Wheeler Boarding offers group tours including rides (for a small fee) lessons and even birthday parties.

Just give them a call at (515) 975-1592 or find them on Facebook here.  

They are super nice and will be happy to answer any of your questions.  They are patient with kids and love to introduce you to the horses and other animals that they have there.

They have an outdoor play area with trampoline and play set to keep kids occupied if you go with a group and they are taking turns riding the horses.

They do a great job with kids birthday parties and allow you to bring your own treats.  They have helmets available or you can bring your own for riding.  Get a group together for a tour or consider Wheeler Boarding for your kid's next birthday party!

Donut Hut

Those that know me well, know that my family has a slight addiction to Dunkin' Donuts.  After living without it for 8 years in Des Moines after moving here from Boston, we were delighted when it opened in the Metro.  For us, Dunks is all about the coffee.  I'm not saying we don't have the occasional Boston Creme or Blueberry Cake, but the donuts aren't the real draw for us.

In fact, I hadn't had a great donut in while, until I had a Donut Hut sugary mound of happiness.  They have the moistest cake donuts I've ever experienced in lots of flavors like your normal chocolate and vanilla and the cherry seems to be a favorite among regulars.  Along with regular donuts they have  "fancies" like apple fritters and caramel pecan rolls.  The Bavarian Creme was similar to our beloved Boston Creme only less custardy of course.  It was a winner. Donuts are mostly under a buck except for the fancier ones which are about a buck forty-nine.

The best part about Donut Hut is that the Owner/Operator Al must be the nicest donut shop owner I've ever met.  He happily walked around the tidy shop refilling coffee and making sure customers were content.  He made sure to introduce himself as he realized we were newbies.

Al explained that they make all of the donuts fresh daily in the store and you can tell he takes a lot of pride in his store and products.  They have a much bigger selection than some other shops in town and by far the best service.  Al is awesome!

Donut Hut is not far from Merle Hay and is definitely worth the drive.  Al has other offerings like smoothies and ice cream so don't skip the trip if donuts aren't your thing.  What a cool coffee/donut shop. It's my new fave.

Free events at Mills Civic Hy-Vee in June (And one class with a fee)

Upcoming Events at your Mills Civic Hy-Vee

Build a Better Burger Food Experience – FREE

Thursday, May 23rd, 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Stop by the meat department during this time to sample a delicious, better-for-you burger and learn ways to build healthier, delicious burgers this summer. No registration required.

Grill Your Way to 5-a-Day Food Experience – FREE

Saturday, June 8th, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Stop by our produce department during this time to learn tips for grilling fruits and vegetables. Sample grilled peaches and learn how you can grill your way to 5-a-day! No registration required.

Make Your Own Father's Day Rub – FREE

Tuesday, June 11th, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Stop by our meat department during this time and let the kids make their own meat, poultry or fish rub to give to Dad for Father's Day! Recipes also available for other rubs to try at home or create your own. No registration Necessary.

June Dairy Month Celebration - FREE

Tuesday, June 18th, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

June is Dairy Month. It's a perfect time to celebrate nutrient-rich milk, cheese and yogurt. Stop by the produce department to sample delicious dairy recipes, and receive handouts and giveaways. No registration necessary.

Summer Salad Samplefest – FREE

Saturday, June 22nd, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Too hot to cook in the kitchen, but tired of the same old salads? Stop by our produce department to rejuvenate your salad repertoire. Sample new and exciting salads and receive recipes for many new salad ideas. No registration required.

Salmon Cooking Class - $15/person

Tuesday, June 25th, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Have you heard all the benefits of wild-caught Alaskan salmon, but not sure how to prepare it? Join your Mills Civic Hy-Vee dietitian Julie and Chef Steve, to learn about all of the health benefits of eating wild-caught salmon and learn several simple ways to prepare. Sample mouthwatering recipes for this delicacy as well as tasty sides that pair perfectly. Registration Required. There is a 7-person minimum for class to be held. Contact Julie at 515-225-1193 orjgieseman@hy-vee.com to register.

Tacopocalypse

UPDATE 8-18-2013 Tacopocalyse is opening a new permanent location in the East Village at 621 Des Moines Street. You can find them there now!

Hopefully by now, you've had the chance to try a delicacy by Chef Sam, but if not, here is the low-down. 

Let's start with Brunchpocalypse on Saturday and Sundays at their new location in the East Village at 621 Des Moines street.

Chef Sam uses local ingredients to make fantastic creations.  Korean chicken & waffles, breakfast nachos and tacos are just a few of the offerings.  Chef Sam's passion is Vegan fare so you are always sure to find something if that applies to you.  You can interchange brisket, pork, chorizo and whatever other special fillings he chooses that day into most of the dishes as well.

My meal of choice this Sunday was the breakfast nachos (top right photo).  A heaping portion of crispy fried tortilla chips with cheese, eggs, bacon chorizo and slaw.  At first glance I was worried that the slaw would overpower this dish, but it didn't. It was perfectly balanced with the chorizo and mild cheese sauce. Love.

We had our kid with us this day, and being a picky 5 year old, I had Sam put his nutella whipped cream on the side, so the picture doesn't do this waffle justice.  While the vanilla porter waffle was amazing by itself and my kid ate the whole thing in less than 5 minutes, I found myself spooning the nutella whipped cream (that he whipped together by hand that morning) into my mouth, it was that good.  For more exciting photos of their waffles and other offerings, check out their facebook page. 

Now that they are in their permanent location they are open every day for lunch and dinner during the week too.  Some the most amazing, creative tacos like Korean Chicken, Bacon Chorizo, Lemongrass pork, etc.  Sam started out working in a Korean restaurant when he was very young, so there is a lot of inspiration in there.  Everything is so good!  You just have to try it for yourself.

"I did it all for the Snookies"

Another summer-time favorite spot is Snookies Malt Shop on Beaver Ave in Beaverdale.  Who doesn't love an old-fashioned ice-cream shop that serves shakes, sundaes, slushes and dips.  They've been around for more than 25 years and the location has been an ice cream shop since the 50's.

They gave everyone a scare last year when there were rumors circulating about Snookies shutting their doors for good.  The owners wanted to retire so luckily they found new owners to save the day.

My kid's favorite part of getting a milkshake is the cookie they add to the straw.

I'm a fan of the good-ole banana split and for about four and a half bucks, it's a good deal.

They have limited inside and outside seating and they even have a drive-though.  But, those that live in the area choose to walk on over and eat their treats on the walk back home.

We are so glad there are some locally-owned ice-cream shops around town.  What a refreshing alternative to the big chain places!  

Notes: They only accept cash! So make sure you plan accordingly for your trip. And dogs are welcome too!  They may even have a treat just for them.

Fro-Yo Party @ The Juice Co. Recap

We had a great time at our first ever Eat, Play, Love Des Moines community event.  The Juice Company at the Shops at Roosevelt was kind enough to invite 20 EPLDSM readers in for FREE Fro-Yo!  We had a great turn-out and lots of fun sampling their awesome fro-yo.

The flavors they have are strawberry, mango, doubleberry, vanilla, banana, chocolate peanut butter, peanut butter, strawberry, & chocolate. All of the frozen yogurt sundaes are made with fresh ingredients, no artificial colors or flavors. 

I love that there is an "ice cream" place that is so healthy and tastes so great so close by.  I sampled the chocolate first and me and my kid agreed that it was smooth and creamy and tasted a lot like a Wendy frosty. Yum!  I also had the peanut butter and it was definitely my favorite.  It was very rich and delicious.  The hubby had chocolate peanut butter and he said it tasted a lot like a Reece's peanut butter cup.  The strawberry was a favorite among other party-goers too, so I don't think you can go wrong with any of the flavors.

I made sure to catch a photo of each kid trying out the fro-yo to catch their reaction because I think that's the real test if it's good stuff.  Every kid loved it, smiles all around!  What a great alternative to the sugar-filled stuff.

I know we are all familiar with the Juice Company's awesome smoothies and juices.  But, if you haven't had a chance to try their fro-yo, check it out!  We think you'll like it as much as we do!

And keep an eye out for some new juice flavor's they are coming out with!  I got to sample a few the other day and they are delicious and great for you!

Thanks to everyone who came out to make our first event a success!  We look faorward to many more in the future!

Over the Top!

What a cute shop Over The Top in Pleasant Hill is!  We stopped in for the first time the other day because I heard they make some really good homemade ice cream.  And they do!  Tons of premium flavors and you get to pick a mini-scoop of a different flavor to try with your order every time!

The shop itself is adorable, I mean look at the ice cream shaped tables!  They have a party room available for birthday parties and tables to eat outside on hot summer days.


They also have candy and specialize in logo-candies.  Imagine wedding favors or corporate logos on chocolate.  Fun stuff.

I'm envisioning many hot summer evening trips here for an ice cream treat.  I ordered a mint chocolate chip ice cream with a mini scoop of peanut butter.  The mint was yummy but the highlight was the smooth and creamy peanut butter.  It was awesome!

Local ice cream shops are hard to find.  We love Snookies in Beaverdale and Classic Frozen Custard in Des Moines but sometimes you have an ice cream emergency in Pleasant Hill, and here is where I'd go.

The Hippest Movie Theater in Town

 I just love catching a flick at the Fleur Cinema & Cafe.  While it's name corresponds to the location, this cinema is definitely a little different from the rest.

While you'll find some first-run mainstream films, you'll also find a lot of interesting independent films too.  If you are planning a date-night and nothing in the "regular theater" looks good.  Check out what's playing at the Fleur Cinema.  There is sure to be something playing here that you'll want to check out.

From the cozy waiting area to the up-scale snacks like wine, cheesecake and Italian creme soda along with popcorn and regular soda, your experience is always a little better here.

You can join the rewards club and earn free movies and snacks.  There is always parking available without having to beat the mall crowds.  And the theater is clean, the art and furniture in the lobby are contemporary and the the theaters are homey.  What was the last movie you saw at the Fleur Cinema?  If you can't remember, maybe it's time to look up the schedule and catch a show this weekend!

Dishcrawling on Ingersol

We had a great time at the latest installment of the Des Moines Dishcrawl.  This time we were crawling around Ingersol Ave in Des Moines.  We hit up three popular area restaurants and then had cupcakes catered by a newer bakery in town.


We started at Noah's Ark.  We've been to Noah's Ark before and enjoy it a lot.  But we had yet to try the pizza there.  I'm so glad we had the opportunity to try it!  It was pretty awesome.  Crispy thinner crust with quality ingredients made for a great pie.  The Bayou pizza was the hit of the table with fire roasted creole tomatoes, prosciutto and goat cheese. Yum!  They also offer gluten free pizza.  We'll be back for pizza here!



The second stop was Palmer's Deli.  They had a selection of sandwiches and pasta salad.  They were good, but not sure that they showcased the awesomeness of what Palmer's is capable of.  It was nice that we had the party room all to ourselves and were able to hear about the charity that was supported by this particular Dishcrawl, Bidwell Riverside.  A portion of each ticket sold for Dishcrawl events go to a selected charity.

We crawled over to Wellman's Pub for the third stop.  We started off this meal with chicken tortilla soup.  It got some mixed reactions at the table.  One diner mentioned that it was similar to a Velveeta party dip and I would agree.  Tasty, but not too noteworthy.  The next course though was their signature wings which were delicious.  The sweet chili sauce was very good and the buffalo was pretty spicy.  They also served a breaded porkloin sandwich with the thin and crunchy onion rings that we love so much from Wellman's.  Very good.


Tuesday night at 8pm is trivia night at Wellman's and Mandi (The Dishcrawl Coordiantor) made sure we hit it just right to get to play.  Really good prizes and a fun host.  Check it out! Prizes after every round and Wellman's gift cards for the winning team.

The highlight of the evening for me was the dessert.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Rogue Sweets specializes in Vegan and Gluten Free cupcakes.  Their signature cupcake is a Gluten Free/Vegan Puppy chow cupcake and it was delicious!  They also brought Vegan Maple Bacon cupcakes!  Yes...Vegan.  No one could tell it wasn't real bacon until they told us. They also brought tipsy turtle cupcakes which were a hit as well.  "Like" them on facebook and tell them we sent you for free delivery on your next order!

If you are sad now that you missed this installment, no fear!  There is another event coming up on June 17th! 7:00pm!  You can buy tickets here. Use code: eatplaylovedsm5off for $5 off each ticket you buy! Hope to see you at a Dishcrawl soon!

Let's Get Cultural!

Today's Blog post comes from our friend Kelly Meyer, mom to Ryan and super awesome person.  They have been attending classes at the Des Moines Art Center and here's her info about it:

Looking to find a great way to stay cool, have fun and flex your creative side this summer?  The Art Center is offering some amazing classes and camps for Adults, Children and Families! 

My son, Ryan, attended the Pre-K/Kindergarten Art class and he absolutely loved it!  The class was an hour and a half long, but they spent the entire time painting, drawing, learning how to blend colors, making a color wheel and painting self portraits, just to name a few things.  They also got to take a tour of the museum as well as enjoy some fresh air outside flying the paper helicopters they made!

While they are in class you can wait in the lobby, stroll through the museum yourself or venture out on the grounds for a little walk and much deserved “me” time.

Have a little one?  Join the Baby & Me Gallery Talks on June 12^th and July 10^th from 11 am – noon at the Pappajohn Sculpture Park.  This FREE event is a great way to take a stroll on the grounds with your pre-walker for an informal discussion.

Entrance to the Art Center is free everyday if you don't want to take a class, but feel like browsing. 

Check out the summer catalog at http://www.desmoinesartcenter.org to find a list of classes available!

Free and Cheap Fun at Gray's Lake Park!

One of our favorite summer spots is our very own Gray's Lake Park in Des Moines.

Everyday activities include boat rentals for a nominal fee with a concession stand. They have life jackets available and you can rent paddle boats, etc. for even just a 1/2 hour if you are looking for something fun to do! The trail around the park is about 1.9 miles around for running, walking or biking. Picnic tables are available and there is a kids park area with playground equipment and a beach for swimming and relaxing.

They also have tons of free and inexpensive events going on a ll summer long!  Check out the events schedule here.  Activities and events include things like Yoga in the park, zumba, dancing, boating basics, moon floats and Unwined!

Unwined is a super fun event with music and free beer and wine samples along with food for purchase.  It's held weekly on Fridays during the summer at Gray's Lake. Here is the info about it:

Start Date and Time: 06/14/2013 05:30 PM

End Date and Time: 09/20/2013 08:30 PM

Location: Gray's Lake Terrace

Taste free beer and wine samples and live music overlooking Gray's Lake. Bottles of beer and wine as well as grilled food are available to purchase. Bring your blanket, but please leave your drinks at home!

Musician Schedule
June 14- The Other Side
June 28- Soul Searchers
July 12- Retro Rockets feat. Tony Valdez
July 26- El Dorados
Aug. 9- Freestyle
Aug. 23- Brother Trucker
Sept. 6- Brian Holtz Band
Sept. 20- Sonny Humbucker Band

Check out the Japanese: Tanabata Star Festival in July too!

Start Date and Time: 07/07/2013 06:00 PM

End Date and Time: 07/07/2013 08:00 PM

Location: Gray's Lake

Japan America Society of Iowa is teaming up with the Iowa Bonsai Association and the Raccon Valley Kendo Club to offer an evening of Japanese culture, through our own local "Tanabata: Japanese Star Festival"

They will have their own Taiko drums at the event to do a short performance and offer a workshop to anyone interested. The Kendo club will also have a demonstration and workshop to teach how to swing a Bamboo Sword. The Bonsai Association will bring their Bonsai Trees displays and teach anyone the art of cutting Bonsai. And of course, they will still have origami and bamboo branches to hang written wishes

Quinton's Bar & Deli

One of my favorite family-friendly lunch spots in town is Quinton's Bar and Deli in the East Village.  If you can get there before noon, you shouldn't have a problem finding a spot on the street nearby.  And even at the noon hour it isn't too bad to find a spot, you might just have to walk a little bit.  And remember to bring some change for the meter if it's a week-day.

Quinton's offers a nice variety of salads, sandwiches, burgers, bread-bowl soups and spuds.  These spuds are HUGE!  They are actually two potatoes put together filed with gooey goodness like cheese, chili, sour cream, chicken and more!

I also really like their kid's menu.  They offer chicken strips, cheeseburgers, grilled cheese, pb & j, mac and cheese or turkey and cheese severed with fries or chips, a drink and a fruit cup for around $5.  My kid loves it here because they remove the crust for him and grill his pb sandwich.  Very accommodating.

The service has always been friendly and the Foosball table and arcade video game is a help by keeping my kid occupied while waiting for food.  The atmosphere is isn't louder, so louder kids probably wont bother other diners that might be on their lunch break.  The restaurant is pretty big.

Consider Quinton's for a casual, family-friendly meal.  If you are looking for a more adult experience, they offer trivia on Wednesday nights and have happy hour daily from 3 to 7.  Check it out!